Henrx ridley



UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

HENRY RIDLEY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO S. P. THACHER AND WALTER STILLMAN, OE SAME PLACE.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

Specicaton of Letters Patent-No. 21,303, dated .August 24, 1858'.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY RIDLEY, of Hartford, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement for Stretching Carpets; and I do hereby declare the same as described and represented in the following specification and drawings to be clear and sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention.

I will proceed to describe the construction and operation of the same referring to the drawings in which the same letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

The nature of this improvement will be understood from the description and drawings.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l, shows an isometrcal view of my improve-v ment. Fig. 2, shows a sectional view of the same.

A, is the bedplate.

B, are the standards or posts having bearings through which the shaft D, and F, revolve.

K, are the grapple clamps, L, the slotted arms, the two parts being secured together by a rivet at I.

I, is a crank for operating the machine secured outside of the posts on the end of the shaft, F.

E, is a ratchet wheel secured to the shaft F, inside of the posts B.

Gr is a pawl secured to the post B, and having a spring to hold it in the right position with the ratchet wheel.

H, is a strap passing through the arms L, and secured r together at N, and passing around the flange wheel C, to keep the draft nearly in a line with the floor. site end is secured to the shaft F..

M, are holes by which the machine is secured to the floor.

The manner of its operationY will readily suggest itself. It is rst secured to the floor and the carpet is caught in the clamps at K, when the machine is wound up until the carpet is suii'iciently stretched, and tacked, then the machine is removed to another point, and so on until the work is done.

The advantage derived by the use of this machine must be at once understood. The work of laying or stretching a carpet upon the floor is a dreaded job, and attended with a great degree of unpleasantness, but with the use of this machine, the work will be perfectly easily and pleasantly done, and without injury to the carpet.

I do not claim either of the devices sepa-V rately considered, as described in my speci- The oppoication, as I am aware that they have been used before separately, and for dierent purposes, as for instance that described and represented in part in Nicholsons Operative Mechanic, American edition, p. p. 357, 353; but

What I do claim therefore and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The construction and arrangement of the clamps I, strap H, wheel C, ratchet E, pawl G, in the frame work A, B, substantially in the manner as and for the purpose as described.

HENRY RIDLEY.

Witnesses:

O. P. OLMsTED, E. P. PHELPs. 

